Good leaders make good employees
Good employees are “made” not “found.” Too often I hear complaints about how hard it is to find good help. In reality, all employees have strengths and weaknesses and finding the perfect employee who fits your dreams is usually impossible. Criticizing employees who do not instantly meet your expectations damages their self esteem and sets the relationship up for failure. Give up your dreams about perfect employees and go to work on making your employees the best they can be.
With proper training and guidance, many employees can become star performers. If you focus on rewarding them for their strengths and helping them improve their weaknesses, you will be surprised at the results. To implement this strategy, you will need to first identify each employee’s strengths and weaknesses. I can hear some employers saying; “That’s easy. Their weakness is that they don’t do their job and their strength is that they know how to avoid doing what I ask.” You’ll need to get into more depth than this. Strengths and weaknesses have to do with how employees approach their tasks, not whether they do them or not.
Get to know your employees well enough to see the way in which they approach their tasks. Are they organized or disorganized? Are they prompt or do they procrastinate? Do they listen carefully or miss details? Do they remember instructions or forget them? Do they ask for help when they need it? Do they gloss over problems or seek solutions? What do they like to do or not like to do? Do they work better alone or as part of a team? Do they make decisions on their own when they really should be clearing things with you, or do they clear every little detail with you when they should be a little more autonomous? Do they try to boss other employees around when it is not their job, or do they ignore others mistakes when they should be providing peer support?
When you understand how your employees approach their tasks, you are ready to help them be as good as they can be. Your conversation might go something like this:
“Hey Bob (or Mary), I have some suggestions that I think will improve your job performance. I’ve noticed that you are particularly good at organizing your day. You seem to have a knack for prioritizing. You always seem to do the most important things first. I want you to know I have noticed that and I really appreciate it. At the same time I have also noticed that you try to do absolutely everything yourself. I think you might be happier and do an even better job if you asked for help sometimes. You know that old saying; “many hands make light the work.” (Give an example of what you are talking about.)
Here is another example:
“Hi Mary (or Bob), have you got a minute? I’ve watched you doing your job over the last few days, and I’ve been looking for suggestions I could make that would help you be even better at what you do. I really appreciate your willing attitude. It is very clear to me that you want to do the best job you can do. I’ve also noticed that when I ask you to do something, you never fail to remember the task, but you don’t always remember the details. I know that sometimes the tasks are new and there are lots of details to remember. At the same time, it is really your responsibility to find a way to remember the details. What would you think about carrying a note pad and writing down some of the details when we talk? (Give an example of what you are talking about.)
Of course the specifics of your conversation will vary from situation to situation and from employee to employee. You will probably need to have this kind of conversation often, especially at the early stages of employment. So, don’t complain about not being able to find good help. Make your employees the best they can be.
